A Stranger Comes To Stars Hollow
by blondie
Summary: Written for a challenge, this story is about ff relationship. GGLAO Crossover. Lorelai meets a beautiful stranger at Luke's Diner.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine.

Cappuccino-Chuppah Challenge

There was someone new sitting at the counter in Luke's. This immediately struck Lorelai as strange. She knew everyone in Stars Hollow. Who was this stranger? Was she lost? She was too dressed up to be a new resident. No one in Stars Hollow wore cashmere dress coats and Armani suits. No one in Stars Hollow looked like they had just stepped out of a courtroom in New York City.

"Lorelai, either take a seat or go back out the door. Make up your mind, you're holding up traffic." Luke exclaimed in his usual charming manner.

Lorelai realized that she'd been staring at the stranger for quite some time, and a line had formed behind her. Kurt had been tapping her shoulder, a fact she just now registered. She moved quickly to a table by the window and resumed her musings on this new person. When Luke came over to pour her coffee she finally asked him. "Say Luke, what's with Ms. GQ at the counter? Friend of yours?" She questioned the surly diner owner sarcastically.

"She's some attorney from the city. Says her car broke down. Gypsy's taking a look at it. She salivated over the thing like it would pay for her vacation to Atlantic City." Luke replied distractedly before moving on to serve other customers.

Lorelai pondered this interesting piece of information briefly before deciding that she should use the guise of hospitality to introduce herself. She sauntered up to the counter, stuck out her hand in the general direction of the stranger and said "I'm Lorelai Gilmore and I run the Dragonfly Inn. I hear that you're visiting our fine town quite accidentally, and thought a stay at the Dragonfly may help to improve the situation for you." Lorelai smiled charmingly as the woman shook the offered hand.

"I'm Abbie Carmichael." The stranger replied. "Apparently your town mechanic will be holding my car for ransom until she can get the parts needed to replace the damn transmission. Teach me to buy foreign cars. Why, my daddy would beat me for buying a German car when a good old Ford would suffice." Lorelai was entranced by Abbie's husky voice and southern accent. "Anyway, word spreads fast around here if you already knew about my situation. I've had several people recommend your inn, and think I may just follow their advice."

"I'm heading there myself as soon as Luke hurries along with my coffee fix. I can give you a ride if you'd like. Especially since we don't have a car rental office around here and I don't think you'll be walking too far in those shoes." Lorelai stated as she motioned to Luke with her coffee cup.

"Sure, if you don't mind stopping by Gypsy's to pick up my overnight bag and briefcase. And if you could tell me where I could by a change of clothes or two, I'd love you forever." Abbie smiled at Lorelai, feeling immediately at ease, and even a little flirty, with this woman. Stars Hollow may turn out to be an interesting adventure after all, she thought.

"What size are you? Because I'll bet I could find something in my closet to loan you, if you don't have a problem sharing clothes with a stranger." Lorelai's heart skipped a beat as she pictured Abbie wearing her "the only Bush I trust" underwear and nothing else. Her face flushed hot, and she started digging into her purse to pay for the coffee.

Abbie saw the flush and felt her own face grow hot. It had been a long time since she'd felt such an immediate attraction to someone, but Lorelai was fascinating. She was looking forward to her stay at the Dragonfly, with it's easy access to this new woman. She got up, put a few dollars on the counter before she responded. "I'd say we won't be strangers for long. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Lorelai tripped over the stool before regaining her composure and walking gracefully out the door, followed by Abbie, who's grin grew wider as she saw the effect she was having on Lorelai.

After picking up Abbie's bags from the mechanic, they rode to Lorelai's to pick out some clothes. Their conversation came easily, talking about everything under the sun, and they discovered that they had more in common than one would first imagine. A love of coffee, the same middle name, and a strange obsession with Wayne Newton, just to name a few. After all, who would believe that it was a man singing "Danke Schoen"?

Up in Lorelai's room, Abbie looked through her closet and exclaimed "Lord! I haven't seen such a variety of clothes anywhere in my life. My closet is a sad shadow of this one, full of starched shirts and dry-clean-only suits. Look at this!" She laughed as she held up a hot pink sequined tank top with the word "Baby" spelled out in white sequins. "Where on earth would you wear this?"

"To my mother's house for Friday night dinners." Lorelai responded cheekily with a smirk. "It's either that or my "Porn Star" t-shirt. Speaking of which, since the streets in Stars Hollow roll up at seven on the dot every Friday night, you aren't likely to find much to entertain you in town. My daughter, Rory, is out of town, so would you like to be my buffer tonight at the family dinner?" Lorelai did her best "poor me" pout and batted her eyelashes at Abbie, hoping that she would be unable to resist.

Abbie, in return, gave Lorelai a dazzling smile and said "Only if I can wear this." In her hand she held Lorelai's favorite Happy Bunny shirt, reading "Your Anger Makes Me Happy" and a pair of low rise Dickies. Lorelai decided that she'd finally met her evil soul mate. Tonight was going to be fun!

After grabbing a few more items of clothes, the pair drove out to the Dragonfly and got Abbie all settled in. She and Lorelai had hatched a plot that would finally push Lorelai's parents right over the edge, and Abbie was worn out from the activities of the day, so she took a quick nap before getting ready for the evening. As she lay on her bed, she pondered this new and intriguing situation. She had enjoyed the flirtatious banter with Lorelai, and felt an immediate connection to the innkeeper, but wasn't sure whether or not Lorelai would be offended if Abbie pushed the envelope a little. She had time, however, since Gypsy had called this morning to say that the parts she had ordered would not arrive until Monday. Luckily Abbie didn't have to be in court until Wednesday, so she called Jack McCoy and apprised him of the situation, updated him on her work, and taken time off. That gave her five days to work her magic on Lorelai, and Abbie loved a challenge.

An hour later, Lorelai knocked hesitantly on Abbie's door. Was she crazy to have invited this woman with her to dinner with the Gilmores? What had she been thinking? Why on earth would she put anyone through the horror that could be an evening with her parents? But she had been torn, wanting to spend more time with this woman, and, deep down, she evilly wanted to see her parents' faces when she walked in the door with this beautiful creature. "Abbie? Are you awake?" She spoke softly to the door, just as Abbie opened it, eyes slightly puffy, hair tousled, with a comforter crease on her cheek. Lorelai's mouth went dry. How can a woman be so stunning right after she's woken up? The universe was truly unfair. Still, from Lorelai's vantage point, she could think of nothing she'd rather see every morning than Abbie.

"I'm up... I didn't mean to fall asleep, I mean I was thinking of work and all of a sudden..." Abbie fumbled a bit as she realized that Lorelai was staring at her.

"It's the air here. We pipe nitrous oxide into the rooms so the guests sleep through their meals. It saves us money." Lorelai stammered, trying valiantly to recover and look like she hadn't been staring, open mouthed, at Abbie. "Anyway, I was just checking to make sure that you hadn't changed your mind about dinner. I mean, I totally understand if you did. I don't want to go, and they're MY parents, so if you want to nap some more or check out the night life in town..." Lorelai suddenly smiled brightly, realizing that she was rambling. "Anyway, I'm going to get dressed and will be heading out in about half an hour. See you downstairs?" And with that final statement, she turned and ran straight into the hall table. Blushing, she headed to her room to change.

Abbie closed the door, leaning back against it for a moment while she tried to calm her nerves. Taking a deep breath, she went to the closet and pulled out the outfit that they had chosen for the big dinner. Abbie was having second thoughts about it. This was the first time she was meeting these people, and first impressions are everything. She wasn't sure that the school girl outfit would fly. Sure, she and Lorelai thought it was hilarious at the time, but it could so totally backfire in the cold light of dinner. Too late now, it was either that or the Happy Bunny shirt. The lesser of two evils apparently, she thought as she pulled on the short pleated skirt.

When Abbie walked downstairs half an hour later, she was glad she'd stuck with the outfit. The look on Lorelai's face was priceless. Abbie had looked in the mirror before heading downstairs and had been pleased with what she'd seen. The pleated skirt was black and white plaid, worn with a tight white button down blouse, and tall black boots. It was perfect!

Oh my god! Lorelai thought as she watched Abbie walk down the stairs. What a complete change from that suit she'd been wearing earlier. Amazing! Lorelai glanced down at her own outfit and suddenly felt a bit wall-flowerish. The low rise, burgundy pants and tight black shirt looked great, but awfully plain next to Abbie's glowing good looks. As Abbie reached the bottom of the staircase, they both stood and stared at each other for a moment, amazed at the transformation from business to pleasure. When Abbie finished giving Lorelai the once over, she glanced up and their eyes locked briefly, but the electric attraction was instantaneous.

"We should get going." Lorelai finally whispered. She hated to leave, would rather just stand and stare all night. She wasn't hungry, couldn't even fake it. Her parents would know something was up. Too late to call them and beg off now, best to bite the bullet and just enjoy an evening with this stranger who was rapidly becoming someone that Lorelai wanted to keep around for a long while.

"You did promise me some fun and excitement this evening. I'm holding you to it. I was promised a fainting spell, some eyebrow raising, and quite possibly the silent treatment. I will be sorely disappointed if this outfit fails to elicit even one of those reactions." Abbie replied, smiling at Lorelai and breaking the spell. "Let's get this party started!"

The ride to the Gilmores' was much livelier than their foyer conversation. It seemed that they had reclaimed that easy banter, and were enjoy their time together so much that the ride seemed to take mere seconds. They giggled again at thoughts of the reaction their appearance would provoke, and despite some slight misgivings on Abbie's part, they proceeded as planned.

Lorelai pulled the Jeep smoothly into the driveway, hardly taking time to shut the engine off before hopping out and running to Abbie's side to open the door. Abbie stepped out, and took Lorelai's hand. The feeling of holding another woman's hand was not one that was completely foreign to Abbie, but it was something that hadn't happened for quite a while. Lorelai's hand was thin and strong, her fingers immediately entwined with Abbie's and clasped hers tightly. Lorelai looked down at their hands and then up to Abbie's waiting grin. This was all new to her. She'd never held a woman's hand before and wasn't sure exactly what she was feeling while holding this one, but decided to ride out the feeling and see where it took her.

"Alright baby, let's do this!" Lorelai exclaimed as she led Abbie to the door. Ringing the doorbell, she stepped back slightly, still holding Abbie's hand tightly in her own. She could get used to this feeling, most definitely. And then her mother opened the door.

"Lorelai, it's about time you..." Emily Gilmore stopped speaking, mouth agape, and stared at the woman holding her daughter's hand. Abbie quickly dropped Lorelai's hand and offered her's to Emily. "Hi, I'm Abbie Carmichael. It's so nice of you to have me over for dinner tonight. I hope that it wasn't too much of an imposition." She drawled sweetly, her smile dazzling.

"Uh... No, we're delighted that you could come. Please, come in and sit down." Emily recovered quickly, and stepped back to let the women in. As Abbie and Lorelai walked into the living room, Emily's eyes followed this new person, taking in the outfit, the beautiful, long hair, and the hand that was, once again, holding her daughter's. Good Lord, what was Lorelai up to this time.

"Your father is out of town on business again, so it's just the girls tonight Lorelai. Abbie? What would you like to drink?" Emily made every effort to be pleasant, but she was feeling waves of heat and cold as she thought through the implications of Lorelai's behavior. A lesbian? As if it wasn't enough that Lorelai had gotten pregnant at sixteen, but now she's dating a woman? What happened to Jason? Or was it Luke? She went through men like water, true, but Emily had thought it was simply because Lorelai hadn't found the right one yet. Now she was beginning to think that no man was the right one.

"Mother? Mom? Are you alright? You look a little pale?" Lorelai looked slightly amused. The plan was working, her mother may actually faint. The only thing that she and Abbie hadn't discussed was when to reveal the ruse. We'll play it by ear, Lorelai thought.

"You know, Lorelai, I'm actually not feeling that well. If you and your... friend? If you and your friend wouldn't be too put out, would you mind if I took a raincheck on dinner? I think I need to lie down. You can show yourselves out. I apologize Abbie. It was certainly nice to meet you." Emily stated, less convincingly the longer she spoke.

Abbie and Lorelai exchanged glances. "Mom, would you like me to help you to bed?" Lorelai offered, winking at Abbie.

"No, I'll be fine. I'll see you next Friday. Abbie, will you be coming next Friday as well?"

"No ma'am. I have to head back to New York on Tuesday to work on a trial. I'm sure I'll have the opportunity some other time, however. Lorelai and I have really enjoyed getting to know each other." Abbie replied in her honeyed drawl. "Again, it was nice to meet you Mrs. Gilmore. I hope to see you again soon."

"Yes, well... Goodnight girls." Emily closed the door quickly behind them.

Giggling, Lorelai and Abbie ran to the Jeep. It was perfect. Lorelai opened the door for Abbie, dropping her hand when she realized that she was still holding it. They didn't have to act anymore, she supposed, as she walked to the driver's side and climbed in.

"Well, are you hungry? Because I know a fun little place here in Hartford where we could grab a bite before heading home." Lorelai ventured, hoping that Abbie wasn't too tired to say yes.

"Yeah, sounds good to me. I mean, we both look great, we should go flaunt it for a while before turning in." Abbie replied, glancing at Lorelai to gauge her reaction. Lorelai smiled in response and eased the Jeep onto the road.

The restaurant was closed, however, so instead they stopped by a git-n-go and stocked up on junk food, fried burritos, corndogs, Slurpees, and of course, alcohol, before heading back to the Dragonfly. They had an improvised picnic in Abbie's room, talking about everything that came to mind, one of those conversations where you want to know everything about the other person, and you want to know it right now.

By ten they had finished off the corndogs and Pringles in various flavors, and were working on the bottle of Watermelon Pucker, giggling and laying on the bed while telling each other their deepest secrets. There was a certain freedom in this, talking to someone you may never see again, someone who completely fascinated you. Then Lorelai suggested a game of strip poker. It began innocently enough, when Abbie made the bold statement "Texans are the best poker players in the world, no question!" Lorelai couldn't take a challenge lying down, so to speak, and immediately challenged Abbie to a hand. Since they had both spent all of their money at the git-n-go, it was agreed that clothes were a fair wager.

Finishing the bottle of Pucker halfway through the game, Lorelai wandered downstairs into the kitchen to find another bottle, wearing only a t-shirt and her infamous "the only Bush I trust" underwear. They were her good-luck panties, but somehow their magic wasn't working tonight. She had to win at least one hand in this lousy game, or eventually the underwear would be laying on the floor with her other clothes. Grabbing a bottle of scotch and a box of Twinkies, Lorelai ran back upstairs, weaving only slightly.

Another round, and Lorelai had discarded the t-shirt and was sitting in a rather uncomfortable position on the bed while Abbie smiled at her, fully clothed. "I warned you!" Abbie stated, laughingly. "Texans are known for card playing. Hello. Haven't you heard of Texas Hold'em? Why don't we stop now, while you still have a shred of clothing? Although I must say, your choice of panties is amusing." Abbie teased Lorelai.

"Fine, then why don't we play something that well-bred society girls are good at... Truth or Dare!" Lorelai chirped victoriously. "I will soooo kick your butt now!"

"Alright, who goes first?" Abbie replied, curious to see what Lorelai had in mind.

"I do. Truth or dare, Abbie?" Lorelai smirked. Now we'll see who's the man here, she thought.

"Truth."

"Who was the first person that you had sex with?"

"You sure don't beat around the bush do you, no pun intended." Abbie replied, staring pointedly at Lorelai's infamous panties. "Okay, Jeb Carter, the highschool quarterback football star. A little cliche I know, but still... When your sixteen, you don't think things through, huh."

"Tell me about it. I was sixteen when I got pregnant with Rory. Okay, now it's your turn."

"Okay, truth or dare, Lorelai?"

"Hmmm... Truth... No, dare... No, truth... No... Dare." Lorelai finally decided.

"Kiss me." Abbie requested, stunned that she'd actually said it out loud.

"What? I... uh... I've never done this before." Lorelai replied, hesitant.

"Why Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, are you chickening out on me?" Abbie teased gently.

"Hey, I'm not the one still wearing clothes." Lorelai stated as she ran her eyes up and down, taking in the school girl outfit again. God, she was hot. Lorelai was starting to get that funny feeling in her stomach, and further down, and hoped that Abbie would either acquiesce and remove her clothes, or forgive Lorelai for being forward, blaming it on the alcohol.

"Good point Gilmore. Would you feel more comfortable if I took this off?" Abbie questioned as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. She slid the shirt off, tossing it on the chair. "How about this?" She continued removing her clothes, unzipping the skirt and stepping out of it, leaving it on the floor as she moved towards the bed. "And these?" Suddenly Abbie Carmichael was standing in front of Lorelai completely naked except for a wide grin and a gleam in her eyes.

"Abbie..." Lorelai whispered. She hadn't imagined... She was fantastic, beautiful, exceptional. Abbie moved closer, taking Lorelai's hand in hers. "It's okay. Come here. I'll show you..." Abbie leaned her head in, barely touching Lorelai's lips with her own. Lorelai's mouth opened, surprised at the feelings that this woman stirred in her, and Abbie kissed her again, pulling her closer. Lorelai moved her hand down Abbie's back, marveling at the smoothness of her skin. Together they fell onto the bed, tangled together, touching here and there, with the wonder of new lovers. It was more than Lorelai had imagined, it was what had been lacking in previous relationships, this softness, and Lorelai gave herself over to the sensation without any regrets.


	2. A New Day Dawns

Challenge Chapter 2

The bright sunlight shining through the curtains woke Lorelai and for a brief moment she was confused. 'The sun doesn't usually shine in my window.' The still sleeping form next to her, as well as her state of undress, clued her in to her location and the memory of the previous night's events came flooding back. "Oh god..." she muttered, unsure if she felt happy or upset or... just plain confused. She looked at Abbie, thinking of how easily this woman had slipped into her life and made a little home there. While she wasn't known for showing the utmost self-control, or the best judge of men, this was the first time she'd slept with a woman, and to have slept with a woman that she'd known for less than twenty-four hours at that.

Abbie rolled over and mumbled something, moving her hand out from under the covers to rub one eye gently as she woke up. "Hey there." She said smiling, her voice gravelly with sleep. At that point Lorelai forgot her concerns and grinned back.

"Looks like I won Truth or Dare. What did I tell you about debutantes? We practice this game from childhood." Lorelai teased.

"Wait a minute... How do you figure? I issued the challenge. Didn't I mention that Texans don't take losing to debutantes easily?" Abbie sat up in bed, fake outrage in her voice.

Enjoying the banter, the initial feeling of panic faded and Lorelai realized once again that this woman would be an excellent addition to her life. She had never woken up in bed with a partner and not immediately wanted to bolt, with or without a shower and breakfast. With Abbie, Lorelai felt like she could just lay in bed all day, teeth unbrushed, no coffee, and just be. It was an instantaneous fit. Like two puzzle pieces, there was a completeness in this that Lorelai hadn't realized she was missing until now.

The ringing of her cellphone startled her and she checked the caller ID. "It's Rory. You don't mind if I take this do you?" Abbie shook her head and made her way into the bathroom, giving Lorelai a nice glimpse of the body she'd explored last night. With difficulty, Lorelai turned her attention to the phone call. "Rory? Hey hon, what's up?"

"Mom? Where are you? I called the house and left tons of messages." Rory sounded panicked, but relieved to hear her mother's voice.

"I... uh... I worked late last night, so I spent the night at the Inn. Are you having fun at your seminar?" Lorelai tried desperately to change the subject.

"You worked late? What about Friday night dinner?" Damn that kid for being so smart, Lorelai thought.

"Your grandmother wasn't feeling well. She gave us... me... a raincheck. Hon, are you going to be available later? I need to take care of something right now." Lorelai floundered around, wishing that she'd never answered the phone. She didn't realize that she'd be so bad at this.

"Mom? Are you alright? You sound a little strange. Hey, did you get lucky last night and you just don't want to tell me?" Rory teased. Lorelai could imagine the smirk on her face. If she only knew.

"Yep, that's exactly what happened. Now, if you excuse me, I need to make a quick getaway before my "friend" wakes up."

"Sure, no problem, but when do I get to meet my new daddy?" Rory was obviously having fun with this topic.

"Ha ha. Have a great day sweetheart. I'll call you later." Lorelai quickly hung up, and saw Abbie leaning against the doorjamb leading into the bathroom.

"Lor?" Abbie wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked concerned and a little hurt.

"Abbie... Hold on... I think that you and I need to talk about this.. this... 'relationship'? Is that what this is? Because if that's what you're looking for, and I hope you are, then we need to talk about what the hell we're doing and how we go about doing it." Lorelai held her hand up, stopping Abbie until she could explain. "I'm not sorry about last night, but you have to admit that this could get complicated. I've never done this before. My parents, who I love and loathe simultaneously, will definitely have issues. My darling daughter will recover quickly and gracefully. Sookie won't give it another thought. But I don't know how your family and friends feel about your sexual preferences. Do they know? Do they care? What..."

"Lorelai, take a breath. If this is your energy level pre-coffee, I can't imagine the speed at which you move once you've caffed up." Abbie smiled and walked towards Lorelai. "Now, first things first. My family knows and they cared enough to kick me out and tell me not to come back. I've made my peace with that, although at times I get awfully homesick. I have a younger sister that I miss most of all. She sends me cards once in a while, and sometimes sneaks a phone call, but my parents and I haven't spoken in years. My friends know and are supportive, so I have my own homemade family. Now, as far as your family is concerned, you know them better than I do, obviously, so your role in this is up to you. I can't make this decision for you. I wish I could say that it is an easy transition, but the best that I can offer is my support, no matter what choice you make."

Lorelai was stunned. Abbie spoke so calmly about her family and their distance. Lorelai had assumed they were close, especially after the comment that Abbie had made in the diner yesterday about foreign cars. Lorelai knew what it was like to have no contact with her parents, and while they drove her crazy, she wasn't sure that she could sever all ties with her forever. She reached for Abbie's hand and held it tightly in her own. "One day at a time then, okay Abbie? One small step at a time. As long as you're here with me, I'll be alright. So, I'm going to enjoy spending the next four days with you, and then we'll see where to go from there. How's that sound?"

"Does this mean that I get the all-inclusive, official Stars Hollow super special tour?" Abbie grinned.

"Let me see if I have my tour guide outfit in the closet... Hmmm... First stop is Luke's of course. This girl needs coffee, or else I can't be held responsible for my actions. I need a shower though, how about you?"

"Is that an invitation?" Abbie teased, and enjoyed watching Lorelai turn a dull shade of red. "I'm just joking, don't worry. Shower in peace."

Lorelai looked at the stunning woman standing in front of her and could think of nothing that she wanted more than to enjoy a nice, steaming hot shower with her. Then she remembered her morning breath and odd shower habits, and decided that the TV romance shower was a myth, and everyone should shower alone. Grabbing her robe, she headed towards the bathroom.

Abbie, for her part, was enjoying this easy banter and the instant comfort that she felt with this woman. She looked forward to the day ahead, making a silent promise to herself to focus only on the moment and not worry about the future right now. There was plenty of time for that later.


	3. Complications Arise

Chapter 3

After a quick shower, Abbie joined Lorelai downstairs where Lorelai had been organizing the staff for the day ahead. When she caught Lorelai's eyes she grinned and reached a hand out to her, a gesture that was still new to both of them, but incredibly comfortable and easy. "Ready to go exploring?" Lorelai questioned with a smirk. "I called Rory while you were in the shower, and her seminar gets out this afternoon, so she's going to join us for dinner if that's alright with you. Just a totally casual dinner. Don't worry."

"Um, sure, that sounds good." Abbie replied nervously. She relaxed slightly as Lorelai pulled her close and whispered "There's nothing to worry about. She'll love you..." Lorelai paused there, thinking to herself 'As much as I'm coming to.'

The sound of someone clearing their throat caught the attention of both women, who turned and saw Sookie standing just inside the lobby with a questioning look on her face. "I don't believe that we've met." She stated, moving towards Abbie with an outstretched hand. "But apparently the two of you are old friends." She finished with a smirk, shaking Abbie's hand in a friendly, easy-going manner.

"Sookie, this is Abbie Carmichael. She's here from New York for a few days, stranded while Gypsy works on her car." Lorelai made introductions with an ease that belied the tension in her stomach. She had said that Sookie would be supportive, but one never knows until push comes to shove. This was the first hurdle, and would be a barometer of how future introductions would proceed.

"Ah, so you're the captive that Gypsy was chirping about yesterday. Something about an all-expenses-paid vacation to Disney World, compliments of some 'hoity toity city girl who doesn't know enough to check the oil in her engine once in a while' as she phrased it." Sookie joked, immediately making Abbie feel comfortable.

"Geez, when I talked to her yesterday, the bill was only going to cover Atlantic City. I think she's dismantling my car and then charging me to put it back together again. I'm really thinking that I should've bought a sporty little Mustang or a nice Thunderbird, something American."

"From the sound of it, you're going to be our captive for longer than expected. Good thing you met Lorelai. It seems that she's made you quite at home." Sookie couldn't resist a little bit of teasing. Seeing her best friend whispering into this beautiful woman's ear, leaning in with a flirty grin that Sookie had only seen Lorelai use on men, Sookie's curiosity was piqued. Who was this woman and what were she and Lorelai up to?

"Sook, Abbie and I were heading to Luke's for some coffee and a bite to eat, then out to see the sights of Stars Hollow. We'll head back by here for lunch so that I can show Abbie some real fancy dinin'. Show her how it's done down-home." Lorelai ended with a slight twang, and a broad grin for Abbie.

Twenty minutes later, the two women walked into Luke's Diner, smiling, and strode up to the counter.

"Coffee?" Luke asked unnecessarily, with a questioning gaze directed at Lorelai's companion.

"Luke, you remember Abbie? She'll be a guest in Stars Hollow until Gypsy sees fit to return her car in good working order."

"Ah, so you're the owner of that BMW Gypsy's been singing about. I believe I heard her mumbling something about a cruise on the Mexican Riviera."

"The Mexican Riviera!" Abbie looked shocked. "Sookie only mentioned a trip to Disney World. At this rate, I'll be personally paying for her world tour!"

Lorelai smirked at Abbie. "Looks like you have officially been sucked into the Twilight Zone that is Stars Hollow. I hear there's an opening at the county DA's office. You might wanna look into that. I can only allow you to mooch off of me for so long."

"Mooching?" Abbie leaned in and whispered into Lorelai's ear. "I think I earned my keep last night." She smiled at Lorelai's reaction, enjoying the pink flush that colored her cheeks.

Lorelai quickly picked up the to-go cups that Luke had filled with coffee and headed out of the diner, Abbie following close behind, a wide grin still lighting up her face. As soon as they were outside Lorelai turned to face Abbie. "You're enjoying this far too much." She stated firmly, the sparkle in her eyes betraying her.

"More than I thought possible." Abbie replied softly, reaching for Lorelai's hand. Lorelai fought the impulse to pull away, realizing that if this was what she truly wanted, she'd just have to get used to the prying eyes and confused stares. Instead of worrying further, Lorelai looked down at their entwined fingers and back up into Abbie's hopeful eyes. 'This is something that I could enjoy forever.' She thought with a smile. 'I could spend the rest of my life simply holding this woman's hand and looking into her eyes. Of course, the sex is pretty good too.' She thought wryly.

"Lorelai? You look like you were thinking something serious, and yet _dirty_." Abbie's voice pulled her out of her reverie.

"You're like a mind reader. I was reliving the events of last night and hoping for an encore performance." Lorelai's voice turned serious as she continued. "And I was thinking that maybe you might want to consider becoming a more permanent player in this drama that I call my life."

"Are you sure Lorelai? I mean, this is something that I came to terms with years ago, but it's all new to you. Take some time to think about it. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this. Hoping, maybe, deep down, but I told myself that all I wanted from my stay here was a good time with an incredible woman. I wasn't looking for a commitment from you. After all, it's only been two days. Take your time before deciding something this important."

"I have been thinking about this. Contrary to what my actions may have shown last night, I don't just jump into bed with someone the moment I meet them. I'm sure that you don't either. Taking that into consideration, you have to agree with me that what's happening here is something pretty special and I'm not tossing it away because of other people's opinions." Lorelai replied, flustered. "And if you really thought that I would..." She turned away, walking towards her house. She needed her safe haven right now, someplace where she could sit for a moment in peace and sort through the thoughts churning in her head.

"Lorelai!" Abbie called after her, walking quickly to catch up. "Hold on, let's talk about this!"

"Lorelai stopped in her tracks, turning to face Abbie. "It's alright, there's nothing to talk about. You've made yourself perfectly clear."

"No, I don't think that I have. Listen to me..." Abbie retorted sharply.

"I don't want to have this conversation in the middle of the street!" Lorelai stubbornly began walking again.

"Dammit!" Abbie exclaimed, grabbing Lorelai's arm. "If you would just stop moving for a second. You're always rushing around, not taking a moment to breathe, to listen. I think I may love you Lorelai Gilmore, and yeah, it's more than I bargained for, and hell yeah it scares the shit out of me, so when I said that I had only planned on a good time with this, I meant that as an out for you. Like I said, I've made my peace with my preferences, but this is new to you. I don't want you to wake up one morning thinking 'What the hell am I doing!' And you're right, I'm generally not a 'fling' sort of girl, but with you I was prepared to ride this thing as far as it will take me, and if that was only until my car was ready, I'll take that and be happy for the memories that it provides. Don't you get it? How can you have thought otherwise?" Abbie's words poured out in a steady stream, as if she was afraid that any pause would give Lorelai the excuse to run away again.

Lorelai just stared down at her feet. Sure, she was scared and uncertain. Her feelings for Abbie had hit so suddenly and forcefully that all Lorelai could do was stand in the eye of the storm wondering when the calm would come and she could think clearly again.

"Lor?" Abbie was genuinely concerned now. Had her message been received?

Lorelai's blue eyes met Abbie's brown ones, and in them she saw her own hurt and confusion mirrored. Tears welled up in Lorelai's eyes, threatening to spill over. She angrily wiped them away. "I do not want to discuss this in the middle of the street!" She looked around the town square. People were going about their daily routines, but she knew that Miss Patty would have this outburst spread all over town in no time. She grabbed Abbie's hand and pulled her along as they briskly walked to Lorelai's house.

As soon as they reached the porch Abbie stopped. Lorelai turned to face her and saw the anxious look on Abbie's face. "Please Lorelai. Just stop for a second. Talk to me." She pleaded.

Unable to stand against such an emotional plea, Lorelai reached forward and pulled Abbie into her embrace. "I overreacted. I'm so sorry. I'm going to be honest here..." She said softly into Abbie's ear. "I'm scared to death. And not of what people might think, but of what I'm feeling. God, it's incredible, this feeling. I can't get enough of you, talking to you, just being near you. And it's so intense that I don't know what to think..."

They stood like that for several moments, just holding one another, enjoying the comfort and ease that they felt, gaining strength from that feeling.

"Mom?" Rory questioned.

The two women, startled, turned to look at Rory who stood there, her confusion slowly turning to concern and even anger.


	4. Can It Be That Easy?

"Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed as she jumped out of Abbie's embrace. Surprised to see her daughter at home so early, ashamed of her gut reaction, she flushed hotly. She could sense Abbie's embarrassment and reached blindly for her hand to reassure her.

"Mom! What the...?" Rory recovered and began again. "I mean, is this my new daddy?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but this was quite a wrench that Lorelai was throwing into their neatly ordered, if somewhat eclectic, lives.

"Rory, come inside and I'll make introductions." Lorelai responded as she led Abbie into the house. She looked sideways at Abbie, hoping that her silence wasn't masking anger or hurt, and catching Abbie's eyes she only saw compassion and love. Lorelai was reminded of Abbie's earlier comments, that she'd made her peace with this, but now it was Lorelai's turn. Well, Lorelai hadn't exactly made a good showing so far, but she felt emboldened by the fact that Abbie's fingers were still entwined tightly with her own. She turned and grinned at Abbie, squeezing her hand gently. "Rory, this is Abbie. She's an unwilling guest in Star's Hollow and will be staying at the inn until further notice from Gypsy. If it all works according to my devious plan, she will soon be the town slave, indebted forever because of her refusal to purchase an American car. Abbie, this is my beloved daughter Rory, my angel, the apple of my eye..."

With a genuinely relaxed smile, she glanced from Abbie to Rory and back again, trying to determine how each was feeling. Meanwhile, Abbie and Rory looked uncertainly at one another until Abbie made the first move. Stepping forward, hand extended, she stated simply, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rory."

"Likewise." Rory said in surprise. She'd been confused, seeing her mother hugging this woman, and a little angry. After all, if Lorelai was going to be hugging anyone on the front porch, it should be Luke. The entire town had already agreed on that at a town meeting. But apparently Lorelai was carrying on in her usual manner, completely disregarding town edict and choosing her own lovers. And Rory understood that part. It was the idea that her mom had chosen a woman... Where on earth had that come from? Her mom usually was a little on the crazy side, doing things spur of the moment, but this wasn't like the time that Lorelai had decided to try the Sinead O'Connor hairdo or came to the conclusion that if they painted the entire house bright yellow, the color would revitalize them more than caffeine ever did. This was a WOMAN! Rory worked to wrap her brain around this new development.

"Rory." Lorelai whispered. "Stop staring and sit down."

"Oh. Sorry." Rory sat obediently in the wooden chair at the kitchen table. "So... How did you two meet?" She began, valiantly working to strike up some sort of conversation with the beautiful stranger sitting across from her, looking almost as uncomfortable as Rory felt.

"Well, I had heard that there was this great little antique shop in this tiny hamlet called Stars Hollow, and I have been looking everywhere for a working Victrola for my study. None of the ones that I had seen so far matched my idealized version, so..." Abbie realized that she was rambling, talking quickly like she always did when she was nervous. "Anyway, to make a long story short, my car broke down in town and I was having coffee at Luke's when your mom walked in and became my salvation." She smiled at Lorelai, who grinned in response.

"Ah... Okay... Well..." Rory stumbled around, unusually at a loss for words. "I don't mean to be rude, but do you mind if I go get cleaned up. We'll attempt conversation again once I've showered." Rory stood up abruptly and headed into her bedroom, only to reappear a short time later with her robe, disappearing, then, into the bathroom.

Once they heard the shower start, Lorelai turned to Abbie with an apologetic smile. "She's usually... Well, this was a bit of a shock for her. She usually rebounds pretty quickly though. Give her a little while and you'll be her new best friend."

"Lor, don't worry about it. This is something that can't be forced. She'll come around in her own time. Maybe the two of you ought to talk it out over dinner. I can eat at the inn and watch TV. I can't tell you the last time I was lazy and actually watched a television program."

"Are you sure? I know you've only got a few days left here and I don't want to waste them while you're stuck in a hotel room watching 'Fear Factor' or 'Tommy Lee Goes to College'."

"Good point. Maybe I'll read something. Do you have anything I could borrow? And please don't tell me that all you have is some such crap by John Grisham! I get enough crime drama in my own life."

Lorelai laughed and went to look through their bookshelves for something that might entertain Abbie for the evening. She returned a few minutes later with a variety of choices, from "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret?" to "Gone With The Wind". "I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for, and Faulkner's never-ending sentences didn't seem appropriate for light reading." Lorelai stated simply, as Abbie looked over the selection with a grin that grew with each title.

" 'Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day'?" Abbie questioned.

"It was Rory's favorite when she was little. It's a comfort book." Lorelai replied defensively.

"Okay. You've given me books by authors from Judy Blume to Charles Dickens. You certainly have varied reading tastes, my dear." Abbie teased as she leaned in to kiss Lorelai. She put a hand on the small of Lorelai's back, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. Lorelai marveled again at the power this woman had to take her breath away. She ached at the thought of being away from her, even for an evening, and found herself half-wishing that Rory hadn't come home quite so early. Lorelai's hand reached up to caress Abbie's face, memorizing the angles and curves, the softness of her skin. Abbie moaned softly and tightened their embrace, sliding her thigh between Lorelai's. She felt a heat building and knew that if she didn't pull back now, Rory might catch them in a far more intimate embrace.

"I'll come by the inn after I have dinner with Rory, okay?" Lorelai whispered, her mouth centimeters from Abbie's. "Just give me time to talk to Rory, one on one, and she'll be fine with the whole thing. Then I'll come by, and maybe we can pick up where we left off..." She finished suggestively.

"I'd love that, Lorelai, but seriously, if Rory needs you tonight, she should be your priority. I'm not going anywhere, obviously." Abbie teased, but her eyes were serious. She'd once been in Lorelai's position. Coming out was harder than people realized. There was a vulnerability there, with people that you felt you could trust, people that were supposed to love you unconditionally. Abbie had learned the hard way that love was rarely unconditional, and life was never fair. She hated that Lorelai had to do this alone, but knew, deep down, that this was the only way that it could be done. Abbie couldn't help her with this step, but she could be there once it was taken.

"Here, why don't you take my car back to the inn? Rory can drive us to dinner, and then I'll just walk to the inn or have her drop me off." Lorelai handed the keys to Abbie just as Rory came out of the bathroom. "Did you have a nice shower, hon? Abbie's heading back to the inn. I thought that maybe you and I could have dinner together. Maybe even try someplace besides Luke's or Al's Pancake World. Whaddaya say to that offer?" She tried to get a feel for her daughter's disposition, feeling a slight panicky feeling that Rory would never accept this new development.

"Abbie can come too, mom, it's alright." Rory turned and offered a half smile to Abbie. "I don't think that reading "Little House on the Prairie" is her idea of a fascinating evening." She stated as she stared pointedly at the pile of books on the table. "Honestly mom, couldn't you do better than that? I have stacks in my room to choose from, and this is what you come up with. Abbie, join us for dinner," Rory offered, "and then if you still need something to read, I'll show you my secret stash. I keep the good books hidden away." Rory looked from Abbie to her mom, taking the picture in. Lorelai breathed a sigh of relief, sensing that the shower had given Rory a chance to begin puzzling through this new situation. Lorelai pulled her daughter into a tight hug and whispered into her ear. "Have I told you lately that you're my favorite daughter?"


End file.
